District and Statewide Happenings Friday Forum Let's hope the bitter cold is behind us! Please excuse the late notice, but it is time again for our monthly Friday Forum, a place for you to talk with other librarians about whatever is on your mind.…

E-Rate Form 471 Filing Window Opening Now is the time to request internet funding assistance. The FCC has announced that the filing window for the Form 471 is opening on January 17, 2024. It will remain open until 11:59 ET on March 27, 2024. …

Pop YS Con: Call For Proposals Now Open! Share Your Knowledge With Youth Librarians Statewide! If you have a great program, service or concept for youth or teens that you're passionate to share with your fellow youth librarians; submit a proposal…

News from the CE Team Announcement Reminders & ILOC Registration Happy New Year! 2023 went out like a lamb (as far as weather goes); 2024 seems determined to be in like a lion. I hope you and your patrons are staying safe and warm. It's a good…

Northwest District Office Hours January and Upcoming ... Northwest Office Hours are back this month with two chances to chat. Choose either Tuesday January 16 OR Thursday January 18, whichever best fits your schedule. Then note Northwest Office…

New Year New Year, New Big Ideas Book Discussions February 16th Basically Incredible by Matt Booth It’s a new year of Big Ideas Book Discussions! The first title we’ll take up this year—on Friday February 16—is Basically…

Open Forum this Friday Wow, 2024! Are you ready for it to be a new year? You're all welcome to join other library staff this Friday, January 5th from 10:30-11:30. Come ready to talk about whatever is on your mind. It's a time to share your good…

So many cool things are on the horizon at the State Library! I'm excited for 2024 - and I hope you are too! Please join us for the upcoming POP YS Con in April (and submit a proposal, too!) as well as attend the All Iowa Reads events, POP YS Live…

Happy New Year! At the close of one year and start of the next, I want to dedicate the CE Newsletter to a couple more announcement-y type things, rather than our usual calendar of events. However, that doesn't mean we don't have A LOT planned…

ILOC 2024 Keynotes Announced Morning Keynote: Communicating with Stakeholders for Results Jay Turner If you work in a library, chances are you are responsible for multiple projects and programs. In this pithy yet powerful keynote, Jay Turner…

Northwest District Office Hours December Northwest Office Hours are back this month with two chances to chat. Choose either Tuesday December 19 OR Thursday December 21, whichever best fits your schedule. Then turning the calendar page…

Register for ILOC Today! On Thursday, January 25, 2024, the ILOC conference will encourage attendees to consider sustainable operations, long-term outcomes, and positive community differences the library makes. Throughout the day, we will…

Holiday Books For Kids As Heard On Iowa Public Radio This article is thanks to Janee Jackson-Doering, State Library Youth Services Consultant. Janee recently appeared on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa and shared some of her…

Southeast Holiday Happenings Friday Open Forum Grab some Christmas cookies and cocoa and join us this month for a get together as we head into the holidays. We have had some great conversations this year and I'd like to hear about your hopes for…

Join us on Wednesday, January 17 for the 2024 All Iowa Reads Author Presentations from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Each author will share insights about their book and answer your questions! You'll also receive an overview of State Library resources to…

ILOC Call for Proposals Closes Today! This is your last chance to submit to ILOC, coming up January 25, 2024. The theme for this year’s conference is “Libraries are Forever!” Library staff and trustees who have demonstrated…

Next Open forum There's snow on the ground, so I guess I can no longer deny that winter is coming. Hope you're staying warm. You are all welcome to join other library staff this Friday, December 1st from 10:30-11:30 to talk about whatever is on…

North Central District - November 2023 Open Office Hours Please join me and other librarians and staff from around the district in our open office hour networking sessions at whatever time works best for you. Remember these are informal sessions…

E-Rate Window Is Open Discounts For Internet Service For public libraries interested in participating in the E-Rate Program, the filing window has opened for FY2024-25. Under the auspices of the FCC, the federal E-Rate Program helps make…

ILOC Call for Proposals Open The State Library of Iowa invites you to submit session proposals for the annual ILOC conference to be held on Thursday, January 25, 2024. The theme for this year’s conference is “Libraries are…

Looking for ILOC Proposals The State Library of Iowa invites you to submit session proposals for the annual ILOC conference to be held on Thursday, January 25, 2024. Library staff and trustees who have demonstrated ways to prove the library is…

Bridges Fees To Increase In FY2025 Following the Bridges User Group Meetings in October, the Bridges Team at the State Library received helpful feedback regarding possible changes to Bridges membership fees. When fees were increased two years…

ILA Planning Day: Next Week In Cherokee! For Northwest Iowa library staff and trustees, this is welcome news: the Iowa Library Association is holding its annual Planning Day in Cherokee. It's next week Tuesday November 14 at the Cherokee Yacht…

Applications Now Open Inside IowaGrants.gov The State Library of Iowa is pleased to announce that we are offering six space utilization grants of up to $3,000 each. This news was announced in the Eye-Opener last week, now this week the grant…

Learning Opportunities for Summer 2024 Summer 2024 will soon be underway - and we're gearing up for ways to help you plan for Read, Renew and Repeat! New This Year: Summer Reading Office Hours: State Library Consultant Janeé…

Learning Opportunities for Summer 2024 Summer 2024 will soon be underway - and we're gearing up for ways to help you plan for Read, Renew and Repeat! New This Year: - Summer Reading Office Hours: State Library Consultant Janeé…

Open Forum This Friday, November 3, will be our monthly Open Forum. Meet with other library staff at 10:30 to ask questions and share stories. Friday, November 3 at 10:30 AM Friday, December 1 at 10:30 AM Eunice's Zoom Room …

Space Utilization Grants ... Grants Available November 6th The State Library of Iowa is excited to announce that we are offering six Space Utilization Grants of up to $3,000 each. These grants open next Monday November 6th. The process…

Titles Chosen For All Iowa Reads In 2024 This year marked the 20th anniversary of the All Iowa Reads program. And the beat goes on: last week the three books chosen for All Iowa Reads in 2024 were announced on Iowa Public Radio. On the Talk of…

Northwest District Bulletin You Are Invited To ... An Evening With Author Cheryl Grey Bostrom Northwest Iowa library staff and trustees are cordially invited to an evening with author Cheryl Grey Bostrom on Thursday November 2nd at…

Virtual Conference from the State Library: January 25, 2024 It's hard to believe, I know, but are you ready for ILOC? This event started as a virtual conference in 2008 as a way for Iowa librarians to stay connected during the winter months…

Monthly Office Hours Opportunity to Network This is a friendly reminder and your invitation to join other Central District Librarians for our monthly "office hours" online gathering. This is a great way to meet and network with other librarians.…

The All Iowa Reads selections for 2024 were announced live today on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa program with host Charity Nebbe. Nebbe was joined by All Iowa Reads committee member Kamryn Kronschnabel of the Charles City Public Library to…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library Of Iowa News : Monday Morning Eye-Opener October 16,…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa News - October 16,…

Use this form to tell the State Library of Iowa CE Team which ILA 2023 Annual Conference sessions you attended. Welcome back from ILA 2023! We hope you had a great conference, learned a lot, and came back to your library energized and excited…

Next in Big Ideas Book Discussions The Art Of Talking With Children November 17th The last title in this year’s Big Ideas Book Discussion series is The Art of Talking With Children (c2022) by Rebecca Rolland. The subtitle itself provides…

Out and About: Travels with Sam Happy Fall, Y'all! Between the ARSL Conference (two weeks ago), the Learning Circuit (last week), and the ILA Conference (next week), PLUS all the cool CE stuff listed below, there's a little going on, eh? Read on…

The 2024 All Iowa Reads season will be soon upon us! Join us as we partner with Iowa Public Radio (IPR) again to announce the new titles for the 2024 All Iowa Reads, Teen All Iowa Reads, and Kids All Iowa Reads programs on Talk of Iowa Wednesday,…

October presents an opportunity to recognize the efforts of Library Friends Groups during National Friends of Libraries Week October 15-21. And it’s United For Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, that coordinates…

Meeting Room Reservations Free to Public Libraries From WhoFi This news is thanks to Christian Gutteridge, Marketing Coordinator with WhoFi. Christian contributes this article about one of WhoFi’s newest features: meeting room reservations.…

In-Person Branding Workshop Scheduled for November Branding on a Budget: Achieve More with Less Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Marion Public Library Ever pondered the power behind a library's unique brand? It's more than just…

Library Board Education Opportunities & Reminders Take advantage of upcoming education opportunities for your library board of trustees to grow the knowledge & skills of your library board! Webinar Series... "Intersections" First up,…

Summer Library Survey Open Prize Pack Available, Too! Library directors and youth services staff should have received a bulletin last week regarding a summer reading survey. State Library Consultant Janee Jackson-Doering sent that bulletin…

Northwest District Bulletin Northwest District Office Hours September And Into The Fall Northwest Office Hours are back this week with two chances to chat. Choose either Tuesday September 12 OR Thursday September 14, whichever best fits your…

Friday Open Forum Let's talk about how your summers went and catch up on all the changes around the district. Join us to meet with fellow librarians and talk about what is going on at your library. Let me know if there is anything special you want…

2023 Summer Library Program Survey Open Enter to Win a Prize Pack of Books! The 2023 Summer Library Program survey is now available! The survey asks about the in person, online, and passive programs offered as well as the total number of attendees…

The 2023 Library Telescope Giveaway Courtesy of the Omaha Astronomical Society Mike Modrcrin, Outreach Coordinator with the Omaha Astronomical Society (OAS) recently reached out to Northwest and Southwest District Offices with this news. The OAS…

Open Forum This Friday, September 1, will be our monthly Open Forum. After the summer, we are back to our regular schedule. Meet with other library staff from 9-10 to talk about whatever issues are on your mind. - Friday, September 1 at 10:30 AM …

State Library Receives Important Grant To Further Social Work in Iowa Libraries Project State Library of Iowa was recently awarded a grant of $246,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as part of the Laura Bush 21st Century…

From the CE Team New Intersections Series for Library Board Trustees and City Government Colleagues Intersections: Where City and Library Meet is a three-part series, designed for library boards and cities, highlighting best practices for city…

The current Large Print Rotation will wrap up on October 1st. If you would like to join us for the next rotation please email Carrie Falk for information or join us during SW Open Office Hours hosted by Misty Gray on Wednesday, September 13th at…

The Boardroom Series This Fall September Through November The Boardroom comes back this fall with a 3-part series titled Intersections. Starting in September and continuing through November, Intersections explores 3 keys areas where close…

North Central District - August 2023 Open Office Hours Please join me and other librarians and staff from around the district in our open office hour networking sessions at whatever time works best for you. Remember these are informal sessions…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa News - August 14,…

Click here to View the Information About "Southeast District News - August…

Public Library Annual Survey FY23 Open And Ready For Filing On August 1s, library directors should have received an email from State Library Consultant Scott Dermont announcing that the FY23 Public Library Annual Survey (July 2022-June 2023) is…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa CE Newsletter - August 11,…

The State Library has been awarded a grant of more than $246,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as part of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The grant will be used on efforts to support the psychosocial needs of Iowa…

Learning Circuits 2023 Registration Is Now Open Last week’s Eye-Opener included a preview of the State Library’s Learning Circuit this fall. Scheduled for September 28, from 9:00AM-3:30PM at six locations across the state,…

Summer Reading 2023 Recap It's a wrap on Summer Reading 2023! Lots of fun events were held this summer, and I enjoyed seeing so many special events! Congratulations everyone on hosting a wonderful Summer Reading Program! 2023 Summer Survey Coming…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa CE Newsletter - August 1,…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa: Monday Morning Eye-Opener - July 31,…

Enrich Iowa Reports Due July 31 Libraries that receive Enrich Iowa funds through the Open Access, Interlibrary Loan, or Direct State Aid programs must submit reports by July 31. Library directors will need to file Enrich Iowa Reports indicating…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa News - July 17,…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa: Monday Morning Eye-Opener - July 17,…

From the CE Team Save-the-Date for the Fall Learning Circuit! Thursday, September 28, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., 6 in-person locations around the state Save the date for the 2023 Learning Circuit! We'll follow the same format we did last year:…

Friday Open Forum Reminder July Southeast Open Forum, Friday, July 21 from 9-10. What do you need to talk about? Here is your chance to speak with other library directors about anything. We like to share ideas, proud moments and concerns. …

Open Office Hours Please join me and other librarians and staff from around the district in our open office hour networking sessions at whatever time works best for you. Remember these are informal sessions where we can connect with other…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa News - July 10,…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa: Monday Morning Eye-Opener - July 10,…

NE Open Forum Join other Northeast District librarians for our monthly networking time. Are you celebrating the end of your summer library program or just getting started? How's it going? Please note the change to our regular Open Forum schedule.…

Click Here To view More Information "State Library of Iowa Pop YS Newsletter - July ,2023…

From the CE Team Collection Cultivation: Maintain Your Library Collection through Weeding Tuesdays in August, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. You’ve asked for it, and we’re answering! One of the most-often requested training topics on CE…

League of Cities Webinar This Week Re: Property Taxes and Special Levies A webinar this Wednesday June 28 is of special significance because it will offer an explanation of House File 718, legislation recently passed by the Iowa Legislature…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa Northwest District Bulletin - June 22,…

Congratulations to ARSL Conference Grant Winners The State Library is pleased to announce the six recipients of scholarships to attend the Association for Rural & Small Libraries Annual Conference this fall. From dozens of applications…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa CE Newsletter - June 16,…

From the CE Team New Series: Lunch with the State Library Monthly on the First Tuesday from 12:15 - 12:45 p.m. Lunch With The State Library Graphic Soup's on! Introducing Lunch with the State Library, a year-long series of short sessions designed…

NE Open Forum Join other Northeast District librarians for our monthly networking time. You can ask questions, share successes, and meet people from across our district. We'll have Ashleigh Matos of WhoFi as a special guest in June. She'll share…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa News - May 22,…

Click here to View the Information About "State Library of Iowa CE Newsletter : May 19,…

Iowa Book Award Winners Chosen By Young Readers From the Iowa Association of School Libraries (IASL) comes the latest Iowa book award winners for 2022-2023. IASL, a subdivision of the Iowa Library Association, advocates for strong school…

We're One Month Away from All Iowa Reads Virtual Author Visits! The three authors of the 2023 All Iowa Reads titles will appear in virtual visits this June. The visits are free and open to the public; registration is required. At each event,…

On Thursday, May 25, the State Library will be holding the first Great IA Shares Bag Count. Librarians will be asked to count and report the number of filled and empty IA Shares bags in their library to an online form that will be available that…

Southeast Happenings Friday Open Forum Join us via zoom for some casual conversations where we talk about whatever issues are on your mind. This is a place for you to connect with librarians across our district and a great chance to pose questions…

Open Forum Join us for NE Open Forum this Friday. These are informal gatherings in Zoom, casual conversations where we talk about whatever issues are on your mind. It's an great chance to pose questions of each other and share solutions that work…

From the CE Team Director Roundtables The 2023 Director Roundtables will kick off on May 9 in State Center; the first of 17 locations across the state in May, with multiple events to choose from in each district! A longtime staple in the…

This Is National Library Week! Let's Celebrate Libraries This is the premier week for library trustees, staff, patrons, and advocates to celebrate our nation’s libraries. This is National Library Week April 23-29. Sponsored since 1958 by the…

Northwest District Office Hours and More! NW Office Hours Spring & Summer Welcome, Spring! Northwest Office Hours schedule for spring and summer months shows below, with two chances to chat in April, June, July, and August. To place…

Enrich Iowa Letters of Agreement Ready to Sign, Due April 30 Iowa libraries of all types—public, college, schools, and specials—should have received a message from State Library Consultant Scott Dermont regarding Enrich Iowa Letters…

Click here to View the Information About State Library of Iowa SE District Newsletter - April 18,…

Click here for More Information About State Library of Iowa Continuing Education Newsletter - April 14, 2023

Coming up in NE Iowa NE Open forum Join us for NE Open Forum this Friday (April 7) at 10:30 am. These are informal gatherings in Zoom, casual conversations where we talk about whatever issues are on your mind. It's an great chance to pose…

Next In The Boardroom: The Board's Role in Staffing Transitions The next Boardroom webinar, scheduled for May 25th (6:00-7:30PM) takes up the topic of staffing transitions. Having successfully hired a new library director, does the board have…

From the CE Team STEM Fairs and Summer Reading Summits Have Wrapped! We had so much fun out and about around the state at the STEM Fairs and Summer Reading Summits in March. Thank you to all our presenters, host sites, and attendees for making…

State Library Launching STEM To Go & Storytime Kits for Checkout to Libraries If you attended the STEM Fairs or Summer Reading Summits around the state this month, you heard the exciting news: the State Library is launching STEM To Go and…

Earth's Bounty Project sign up now open The State Library is launching an exciting Oral History project, Earth’s Bounty in Iowa: Then and Now. Members of the public will be able to tell their own stories about growing up on a farm in Iowa. …

Director Roundtables Registration Now Open! This spring, Director Roundtables will follow our overall education theme for 2023: “Productive Partnerships.” With last year’s theme (“Make Room for Yes”) as a jumping off…

Friday Forum THIS WEEK Join us for conversation with your colleagues and peers this Friday. This is a place for you to connect with librarians across our district and discuss things that are important to you. This week, we also have a special…

Director Roundtables In May A longtime staple in our Continuing Education calendar, Director Roundtables are coming back in May. Roundtables are another way we can go deeper into the annual CE theme. In a guided discussion format, library…

Too. Much. Snow. Join us virtually to chat about summer during a snowstorm. Well, there's always a risk to scheduling in-person events in March, and we were reminded of it this week thanks to (another) winter storm pummeling its way to Cherokee…

National Library Week Is Coming ... April 23-29, 2023 Turning the calendar to March leads to thoughts of spring, Daylight Saving Time, and National Library Week—coming up April 23-29. Sponsored since 1958 by the American Library…

News from the CE Team Room Remains for Summer Reading Summits Near You! We still have plenty of space in our upcoming Summer Reading Summits across the state throughout the month of March. Come find inspiration for your library's summer reading…

ILA Advocacy Day March 7th The Iowa Library Association urges library trustees, directors, and staff at all levels to attend Advocacy Day, this year scheduled for Tuesday March 7th. This annual event takes place at the State Law Library, housed…

AARP Community Challenge Grants Applications Due In March AARP is sponsoring Community Challenge Grants this spring. Public libraries are encouraged to apply and encourage community partners to do the same. Launched in 2017, the annual AARP…

Northwest District Office Hours and More! New Year of NW Office Hours Northwest District Office Hours are back in the new year. Depending on calendar constraints, some months offer two opportunities to chat. Choose either Tuesday OR Thursday,…

News from the CE Team ILOC Recordings Now Available We are about a month out from the ILOC 2023 Conference and we have all the recordings from the conference ready to go! A huge thank you to Angela Forret for her hard work in processing these and…

Big Talk From Small Libraries Conference Sponsored By Nebraska February 24th Just last month, the State Library of Iowa held our annual online conference called ILOC. Now this month, our neighbors at the Nebraska State Library hold their annual…

Join the State Library for an evening of library board training on the topic of policies. The Boardroom Series 2023 continues with part two of Policy Watch: Policies Lost and Found. It is not necessary to have attended part one to join us for this…

Bridges Annual Enrollment Time On Feb 6th, an early reminder about an annual happening in March each year—that’s the annual Bridges Sign-Up. By March 31st, current Bridges libraries need to re-enroll to renew their participation. And…

News from the CE Team Lots going on! And scroll down for new Kernels. Usually I reserve this space for a special announcements from the CE Team... For this newsletter I'll just content myself to say WE'RE BUSY! Whew! Scroll down to see all the…

Summer Reading Program Canva Templates Access Templates On State Library's Summer Reading Webpage The State Library created Canva templates for libraries to customize and use with the Summer Library Program theme Find Your Voice. At the…

NE Open Forum Join Eunice and other Northeast District librarians for an hour of networking on the first Friday of each month. You can ask questions, share successes, and meet people from across our district. Next Up: Friday, February 3, 10:30…

STEM Scale-Up Applications Open... Applications Due in February Public libraries are eligible to receive STEM materials thanks to awards from the Governor's STEM Council. The acronym should be familiar: it stands for…

New Year, New Boardroom Webinars Policy Watch Part 2 The Boardroom Series begins a new year of webinars in February with a continued discussion of some policy topics not commonly addressed. We started this topic last November in discussing the…

Last Chance to Register The 2023 ILOC Conference is less than a week away! There’s still time and space to register if you’re hoping to attend all or part of the day. We kick off the day at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 26 with our…

Libraries Qualify Here is an opportunity for your library to receive STEM resources and materials. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This opportunity is available through the Governor's STEM Council. Please note that…

We wanted to share with you a STEM opportunity for your library. Please note the message from Mauree Haage the North Central Iowa STEM Regional Manager: As you may know, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Council recently released the programs…

Two Office Hours This Month We are happy to offer two different open office hours this month for our North Central libraires. Please join me and other librarians and staff from around the district in our open office hour networking sessions for…

STEM Fairs and Summer Reading Summits! Registration Is Now Open! Join us for these free, exciting youth events across Iowa! About the STEM Fairs: Our STEM Fairs will feature why STEM matters - and how you can implement STEM activities in…

You are invited to the annual Iowa Libraries Online Conference (ILOC) on Thursday, January 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. This FREE online conference offers keynote speakers, informative sessions, and an evening session for trustees - all online.…

DES MOINES — Bridges, the ebook and audiobook consortium managed by the State Library for Iowa libraries, celebrated more than 2.4 million checkouts by Iowans in 2022. Bridges was one of 129 OverDrive library systems to surpass the 1 million…

Northwest District Office Hours and More! Happy New Year of NW Office Hours Next Monday January 17th is Martin Luther King Day and a state holiday for us, so State Library offices will be closed. Leading to this earlier-than-normal reminder…

Monthly Office Hours and C.E. Opportunities Office hours for first quarter Join me (Maryann) and other Central District librarians for an hour of networking on the third Thursday of each month. You can ask questions, share successes, and meet…

State Library District Consultants (with the exception of North Central Consultant Jay Peterson) recently received new cell phones and were unable to have their previous phone numbers ported over. Please note their new phone numbers below and save…

Next Big Ideas Book Discussion Scheduled for February 17th, the first title in 2023’s Big Ideas Book Discussion series is Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual by Luvvie Jones (c2021) Best-selling author and national speaker,…

Announcing the Full ILOC 2023 Schedule Thursday, January 26, 2023 ILOC 2023 will run from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with breaks for lunch and dinner. 2023 Schedule ILOC uses a concurrent session model, with two breakout options in four sessions…

Schedule Changes I have just a few updates for you! First, I will be out of the office from January 20-February 9. I am thrilled to be headed for the vacation of a lifetime and will be flying to Argentina and then boarding a ship to Antarctica! …

Join us for the first NE Open Forum of 2023. These are informal gatherings in Zoom, casual conversations where we talk about whatever issues are on your mind. It's an great chance to pose questions of each other and share solutions that work for…